{"id":39108,"date":"2025-08-14T20:25:52","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T01:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/mayor-eliminates-community-relations-liaison-position\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T20:26:01","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T01:26:01","slug":"mayor-eliminates-community-relations-liaison-position","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/mayor-eliminates-community-relations-liaison-position\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor eliminates community relations liaison position"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Community<\/a><\/p>\n

Community Relations Commission Chair Lloyd LaCroix during a recent meeting with Mayor Jason Salamun discussing the future of the commission. (Photo by Marnie Cook)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

RAPID CITY \u2013 The Rapid City Community Relations Commission (CRC) is facing significant changes as Mayor Jason Salamun announced plans several weeks ago to eliminate the CRC coordinator position and restructure its operations. The Commission met with the mayor during a lengthy discussion on the afternoon of August 12, 2025.<\/p>\n

The proposed changes would maintain the commission itself but dramatically reduce its scope, focusing primarily on conflict resolution and discriminatory dispute mediation as those situations arise while stepping back from community education initiatives that have been a cornerstone of the CRC\u2019s work in recent years. CRC Coordinator Lafawn Janis said those initiatives included building community awareness of cultural diversity, offering educational forums and helping the community have courageous conversations in order to heal relationships and have understanding of each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand where the mayor is coming from,\u201d said Commission Chair Lloyd LaCroix, \u201cbut I also know from this group that one of your biggest concerns is the education piece and the training.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CRC<\/a><\/p>\n

CRC Commissioner Becky Drury during a recent meeting with Mayor Jason Salamun discussing the future of the commission. (Photo by Marnie Cook)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Salamun said the restructuring stems from budget constraints. \u201cI was looking at the budget and I am not certain that there is enough work to justify a full-time position with the funding that we have.\u201d The full-time position, which includes benefits and taxes, costs the city over $100,000 annually.<\/p>\n

Salamun also said there are some portions of the education aspect that are good but said it\u2019s not a role he thinks government should take. \u201cI think this commission serves an important function, really being a place where objective community members like you can help settle discriminatory disputes, resolve conflicts that might exist in our community. Some of this stuff is about treating people with respect, no matter your background, but didn\u2019t agree with other aspects of the education portion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t necessarily think it\u2019s the government\u2019s role to do all the education that you would want to do,\u201d the mayor stated during the meeting.<\/p>\n

The mayor emphasized that the decision was not about eliminating the commission entirely but rather refocusing its mission. \u201cI see the Community Relations Commission as important and your work as commissioners, important to still work towards resolving conflict, settling discriminatory disputes and those sorts of things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Under the proposed changes, administrative support would shift to the city attorney\u2019s office and would have a much smaller budget, with commissioners continuing to receive staff liaison support when needed. City Attorney Joel Landeen explained that his office would provide the administrative and staff support to review a complaint and gather information in support of the commission.<\/p>\n

Currently, the commission has $2,000 dollar in it\u2019s account. Commissioners asked that the money be transferred back to them. Landeen agreed saying that the money had been transferred to the from the Mniluzahan Okolakiciapi Ambassadors (MOA) when the MOA merged with the then Human Rights Commission (HRC). In 2020, the Human Relations Commission Task Force was formed and charged with examining the current state of the HRC and making recommendations for the future to better serve the city. According to the CRC website, just as the many iterations of human relations efforts that had come before it, the task force had a strong desire to help address race relations in Rapid City but understood that the HRC wasn\u2019t accomplishing its mission due to low community response. They reached out to MOA and the partnership began.<\/p>\n

The proposed changes have sparked debate about who should handle community education on issues of discrimination and racial equity. The mayor argued that such work is \u201cbetter left to nonprofits or consultants or trainers in our community\u201d rather than city government. Salamun said some people will think it\u2019s alright, but others will question why their tax money is being spent this way. He also said other committees don\u2019t have a liaison, for instance the Sustainability Committee.<\/p>\n

Salamun said government shouldn\u2019t be telling people which values they should hold. \u201cYou\u2019re going to have a lot of disagreement with what you\u2019re teaching because that may not be someone else\u2019s values.\u201d He suggested that private organizations could fill the educational void.<\/p>\n

However, commissioners expressed concerns about the impact of reducing the city\u2019s role in community education, particularly given Rapid City\u2019s complex history with racial relations and the ongoing challenges faced by the Native American community.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Walt Swan said tensions remain high. \u201cThe problems go back, and nothing has really changed lately except the definition of what you can call me.\u201d He recalled an incident last year when some patrons at the carnival were not allowed entry because their t-shirts, which had the NDN Collective logo, were deemed offensive. \u201cWhen you hear the story behind why they were wearing them, they were given those shirts for community service. Service to this community.<\/p>\n

The discussion revealed deep concerns about the implications of scaling back the commission\u2019s work, particularly in a community with a significant Native American population and a history of racial tensions. One speaker reflected on the historical injustices in Rapid City and the importance of education in preventing regression.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Becky Drury suggested that the education piece could be held at the Journey Museum. The Museum recently completed a merger with the Black Hills Historical Society. Swan noted that there have been issues with the Journey Museum and the historical exhibits and the repatriation of Native American artifacts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lack of education and history in understanding the impact of past injustices, leading to regression,\u201d noted Swan, highlighting concerns that reduced educational efforts could harm community progress.<\/p>\n

Commissioners also discussed the challenge of being perceived as politically motivated when addressing systemic issues. One participant noted the difficulty of \u201ceducating community members about systemic racism and discrimination\u201d while maintaining credibility as an impartial body.<\/p>\n

Despite the cuts, the mayor assured commissioners that their work would continue. All current commissioners, most of whom were appointed by the current mayor, would remain in their roles. The commission would continue holding regular meetings and maintain its core function of helping resolve conflicts and discriminatory disputes when they arise.<\/p>\n

The restructuring would align the CRC more closely with other city commissions and committees in terms of budget and staffing support. Cases would continue to come through the city attorney\u2019s office, which would determine whether issues are appropriate for CRC intervention.<\/p>\n

Commissioners expressed skepticism about the city\u2019s commitment to addressing racial equity and discrimination. Former commissioner Paula Long Fox shared personal experiences of feeling devalued in the community and advocated for prioritizing the needs of marginalized populations. The discussion also touched on the importance of maintaining trust and credibility within communities that have historically faced discrimination.<\/p>\n

As the city moves toward finalizing its 2026 budget, the fate of the CRC\u2019s current structure remains in flux. While the commission will continue to exist, its reduced capacity raises questions about how effectively it can address the complex racial and social dynamics in Rapid City.<\/p>\n

The mayor has indicated willingness to work with commissioners. However, the transition represents a significant shift in how Rapid City approaches community relations and equity work.<\/p>\n

(Contact Marnie Cook at cookm8715@gmail.com)<\/span><\/p>\n

The post Mayor eliminates community relations liaison position<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Community Relations Commission Chair Lloyd LaCroix during a recent meeting with Mayor Jason Salamun discussing the future of the commission. (Photo by Marnie Cook) RAPID CITY \u2013 The Rapid City Community Relations Commission (CRC) is facing significant changes as Mayor Jason Salamun announced plans several weeks ago to eliminate the <\/p>\n

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Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> August 14, 2025<\/p>\n

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